olutionary War, which many historians prefer to do, it will be remembered that the future of the Revolution looked bleak until the Continental army's victory over the British and Hessians at Saratoga. However, this victory alone accomplished nothing. It was very important to have strong statesmen in foreign capitals extolling the accomplishments of the armies in the field. This the Continental Congress was very proficient...where was the Confederate Congress? Where were these accomplished statesmen from the South? Who went to Paris or London and made those governments understand the economic windfall their countries would achieve in supporting the Confederate States? Who was the ambassador from the South who demonstrated to the foreign leaders that the fighting on the Peninsula and at Manassas would keep Union aggression at a standstill? What ambassador confirmed how much these victories would mean to an ally who could trade freely with the South making the proper marriage of cotton with foreign textile mills? Where were the statesmen who were going to bring about a national effort to save sectional interests? What if roles had been reversed? Would Lincoln have freed the slaves in the South if that meant foreign intervention? Could Lincoln have manipulated the Southern population as he had done with the Northern populace? Could he sell share cropping to the Plantation Owners...or some other form of agriculture process that may have or may not have subjugated the laborers in order to preserve the new government? Perception is reality. He was perceived by the world as being the great emancipator.In reality...who did he emancipate? Lee, Jackson, Longstreet, Forrest, Taylor...and the list goes on and on did all they could do to win the war in the field. Their bold victories were enough to gain an international coalition. They did more than their forefathers in the Revolution ever did to achieve independence. They lost...
